Hmmm... I have had the wonderful opportunity to play this synth on a few occasions now, and am currently awaiting my red version.

I have no idea why people think this thing feels cheap. I thought it felt solid, and I liked the action on the keyboard. The pots were smooth and seemed pretty solid as well. I may not want to dance a waltz on top of them, but they felt like they would hold up as long as any other synth I've played. To comment on a user comment earlier... try pressing down on the Q (waldorf) synth's front panel at around center key... notice the big bend? I saw this the other day at a music store. It was amazing...looked totally cheap. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE WALDORF products... they are generally built like a tank, but as my above comment points out, sometimes things just can't be perfect. The andromeda does not bend like this. =]

The sounds on the andromeda are just unbelievable, but still barely hint at what you can do with the synthesis behind them. Venturing into all the modulation routings on this thing is an amazing experience. I have never seen a synth layout so well designed. Anything that isn't on the front panel is only one button away. The filters sound amazing, and the additional effects sound great. The analog distortion circuit on this thing kicks ass.

I think many alesis products have seemed a little cheap in the past, and in all fairness, their prices were in line with that quality. This synth is in no way shape or form what I would consider a cheap alesis product.

This synth was built with love...you can tell just by looking at what it does. It has analog synth geek written all over it =]. You can also tell by looking at the sheer joy on mike peake's face when he shows it to you =].

I love this thing. It is the coolest thing alesis has ever built...and possibly that it ever will. It has completely changed the way I look at their products.

It sounds great, and the use of aftertouch on a lot of patches is cool.. The drums,bass,leads,pads,effects are excellent to say the least.

It's built like an Alesis, knobs are wobbly, It's made of 50% plastic and already had a crack from shipping. The whole keyboard felt cheap and I would not spend $2,500 on a Keyboard built this way(like a toy). This is definitly not a gigging keyboard, leave it in the studio.

The felt ribbon is a good idea, But I can see it wearing out after a couple years.

C'mon Alesis, Take a hint. Let Clavia or Waldorf build your cases.. This is crap.

Rating: 3 out of 5
posted Tuesday-Jan-30-2001 at 16:26

Kris Rhen
a hobbyist user
from Pittsburgh, PA
writes:

Got mine too! Absolutely incredible! Makes all the classic sounds... good job of a Moog/Ob/Arp/whatever 'simulator'. Also makes sounds I never heard from an analog before (except maybe my Doepfer Modular). Warm or harsh, bright or dark, its all in here. On-board EFX do actually enhance! The step seq is very powerful. Definitely worth selling some of my classic gear to compensate for the, um, somewhat painful pricetag. BTW, I like the Blue better than the Red... now if Alesis had tinted the background maroon as well as changed the darker areas of the panel, it would have been much more appealing IMO...

http://www.stucki.com/krhen/downloads/myredandy.jpg

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Wednesday-Jan-17-2001 at 10:45

John Schur
a hobbyist user
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
writes:

I got my A6 last Friday. (An insider tells me I may in fact be the first "customer" in the world to have one. The first units went out last week destined for Alesis reps. The rep in my area wasn't able to get to the store where the unit was shipped and told them that they could sell it.) Anyway... first off, if you've made a judgement of the A6 based on the MP3's that are around the web, you are doing yourself and Alesis an injustice. No MP3, or for than matter any other format of demo, can possibly capture the actual experience of playing and programing this thing. It is truly awesome. The depth and extent of modulation possibilities are like nothing else I've ever seen. I have barely scratched the surface after three days of playing with this monster. As for the sound, it, like any other synth, has a sound and character of its own. If I had to compare it to something (which I'm not,) I'd say it is more Moogish than anything else. It can also sound dirty and gritty like the Oberheims. For those of you (us) who use and appreciate software synths, software might come close to emulating real analog, as might the virtuals (I have several), but there is no substitute for the hands-on experience of the response that come from the real thing. I don't think I could be happier if I had a brand new out of the box Matrix 12 or Mini Moog. Say what you want, and I'm sure there are some nay-sayers who will blast away, but this is one unit that I will take to the grave with me. Now if I can only find some time to eat and sleep.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Monday-Jan-15-2001 at 07:29

BrianK
a professional user
from Los Angeles
writes:

I have one and it is great. I know old and new synths quite well and it stands up to anything old or new easily. I consider it a classic already -

But PLEASE don't review it until you have played it - not just once, but enough to know how DEEP and flexible this thing is...